Department of Health and Social Care

Social Services: Reform

Baroness Wheeler: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care) on 21 December 2022 (110613), when they will publish their plan for social care system reform; whether the plan will include (1) an evaluation of the burden on local authorities, (2) a consolidation of existing social care initiatives, white papers, and funding streams, and (3) a timetable for delivery; and whether the plan will include strands on (a) the social care workforce, (b) the use of data in social care, (c) the Mental Health Act 1983, (d) Liberty Protection Safeguards, and (e) Building the Right Support proposals.

Lord Markham: In spring 2023 the Government will publish a plan for adult social care system reform. This will set out how we will build on the progress so far to implement the vision for adult social care set out in the People at the Heart of Care white paper, published in December 2020. The plan will include key milestones for reform, including for workforce, data and technology. The final Local Government Finance Settlement, published on 7 February, sets out the resources available to local authorities in 2023/24, including for adult social care services. We also published the Building the Right Support Action Plan on 14 July 2022 and will confirm next steps for the Liberty Protection Safeguards in due course. The Department will consider the Joint Committee on the Draft Mental Health Bill’s recommendations carefully and we will introduce the Bill when parliamentary time allows.

Public Health: Finance

Lord Porter of Spalding: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they havehad on the level of funding required from the public health grant in order to ensure that local authorities are able to fulfil their statutory public health responsibilities.

Lord Markham: The Department meets frequently with local government representatives on a range of public health issues. Most recently, the Minister for Primary Care and Public Health met with the Local Government Association on 17 January and the Association of Directors of Public Health on 24 January to discuss matters relating to public health, including future public health grant allocations. At the 2021 Spending Review, we considered the need for local authority public health funding and confirmed that the public health grant to local authorities would increase over the settlement period. In 2022/23, the grant increased by 2.81% to £3.417 billion. This is in addition to targeted investment through local government in start for life support and drug and alcohol treatment services. We will announce 2023/24 public health grant allocations to local authorities shortly, and in doing so will consider the impact of changes to pay and inflation trends and forecasts since the Spending Review.

Death

Lord Strathcarron: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Markham on 6 February 2023 (HL4993), what plans they have to launch an evidence-led investigation into why more people are dying unexpectedly than normal.

Lord Markham: The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities is already working closely with the Office for National Statistics to understand excess deaths. Deaths involving acute respiratory infections (including influenza and pneumonia) are likely to explain many of the excess deaths in the four week period to 27 January 2023. There were 3,389 more deaths involving acute respiratory infections than expected. Deaths involving all cardiovascular diseases were 12% higher than expected during the four week period to 27 January 2023, while deaths involving heart failure were 21% higher than expected. The Government is taking a range of actions to address excess deaths, including preparing for the challenge of variants of COVID-19 and respiratory infections, with an integrated COVID-19 booster and flu vaccination programme. We will be announcing details of our action on cardiovascular diseases in the forthcoming Major Conditions Strategy.

Infant Foods: Marketing

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to enforce the ban on marketing baby (under six month) child milk formula in the UK; and whether they plan to extend the ban across all child milk formula.

Lord Markham: In England overall responsibility for enforcement of the legislation governing infant formula and follow-on formula, including the marketing restrictions which apply to infant formula, rests with Local Authorities. Local authority enforcement officers will usually be the Trading Standards or environmental health department of the local authority or Port Health Authority. In the United Kingdom, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is responsible for regulating advertising across traditional forms of media (print, radio, television) through its Broadcast and online advertising through its non-broadcast codes. The ASA’s rules on formula advertising are backstopped by Trading Standards. This means that the ASA can refer cases if necessary for Trading Standards to take a view on whether there are breaches of the law and apply tougher sanctions as appropriate. There are no plans to extend the restrictions on the marketing of infant formula to include other breastmilk substitutes.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

House of Lords: Security

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether £7 million is to be spent on the security works project at Peers' Entrance; why such expenditure is necessary; and who authorised it.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: For security reasons, the Houses do not publish capital expenditure on security mitigating projects as providing this level of detail could enable an individual to infer the extent and nature of the works, and thus the vulnerabilities which they were intended to mitigate.The necessity and cost of the works at Peers’ Entrance have been the subject of rigorous internal assessment through the usual business case process. The plans have also been validated by external experts. Members are always welcome to contact the Director of Security to discuss any security-related concerns privately.　　The Clerk of the Parliaments and Clerk of the House, as Accounting and Corporate Officers, have responsibility for approving final business cases for security projects across the Parliamentary Estate, subject to advice from the Finance Directors and other relevant officials. The Clerk of the Parliaments’ decisions on security projects are informed by consultation with the House of Lords Commission, which ensures that the impact on Members is taken into account, and by the Finance Committee which receives regular reports regarding security expenditure. The Clerk of the House is informed by the equivalent groups and individuals in the House of Commons. Ultimately it is not the House that makes the final decision because security is a bicameral issue, and legal responsibility for safety sits with the Clerk of the Parliaments and Clerk of the House.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Israeli Settlements

Baroness Janke: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proposed reduction in the powers of the Supreme Court in Israel by the new government of that country; particularly in respect of the laws regarding Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Constitutional reforms are by-and-large a matter for the Israeli people and their government, however the UK believes strongly in the principle of an independent judiciary and Israel is rightly proud of its history as a Jewish and democratic state. The UK's position on settlements is clear, as set out in a statement made by the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and Italy, the Foreign Secretary of the UK, and the Secretary of State of the US on 14 February . They are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace, and threaten the physical viability of a two-state solution. In terms of the law which applies to Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, it has long been the UK government's view that Israel's presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is governed by the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, to which Israel is a state party. We repeatedly call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and we have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Janke: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel regarding (1) the right of Palestinians living in Israel (a) to hold Israeli citizenship, and (b) to vote in Israeli elections, and (2) statements by the Minister for Internal Security in that country regarding the extension of Israeli sovereignty over the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Palestinian citizens of Israel have full citizenship rights, including voting in elections. However, we are aware that Palestinians who live in East Jerusalem do not enjoy the same rights. We regularly raise issues related to the situation in East Jerusalem, for example evictions and demolitions of property as well as revocation of residency rights, with the Israeli authorities and the Jerusalem municipality. It has been the position of the UK government since 1967 that the Occupied Palestinian Territories (the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza) are not lawfully part of the State of Israel. The Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and Italy, the Foreign Secretary of the UK, and the Secretary of State of the US set out on 14 February in a statement their support for a "comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in the Middle East, which must be achieved through direct negotiations between the parties.

Israeli Settlements

Baroness Janke: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel about the proposal to legalise Jewish settlements in the West Bank and the impact this will have on securing a two-state solution in the region.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK's position on settlements is clear, as set out in a statement made by the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and Italy, the Foreign Secretary of the UK, and the Secretary of State of the US on 14 February . They are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace, and threaten the physical viability of a two-state solution. We urge Israel to halt its settlement expansion. The UK remains committed to a two-state solution, as I made clear in my meetings with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh and Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki, during my visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories on 10-13 January.

Republic of Ireland: Foreign Relations

Lord Rogan: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of current relations between the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The strength of the bilateral relationship between the UK and Ireland is of fundamental importance to both countries. Our interconnected histories, cultures, and economies make it vital that the UK and Ireland are able to work together in a spirit of friendship, understanding, and cooperation. We have a shared responsibility for upholding the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, to which the Government is firmly committed. Most recently, the Prime Minister spoke to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on 23 January, and the Foreign Secretary to Tanaiste and Foreign Minister, Micheál Martin on 2 February.

Syria: Children

Lord Hylton: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to communicate to British unaccompanied minors or orphans detained in north-east Syria that applications to return to the UK will be considered on an individual basis; and how they should apply.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are aware that there are British nationals, including children, in IDP camps in north east Syria. Where British unaccompanied minors and orphans are brought to our attention, we will seek to facilitate their return to the UK where feasible, subject to national security concerns, nationality and identity checks and on a case-by-case basis. The FCDO advises against all travel to Syria and there is no consular support available from within Syria to British nationals there.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Beaches: Swimming

Lord Sikka: To ask His Majesty's Government which beaches in England were designated as safe for swimming (1) in 2010, and (2) the most recent year for which a list is available.

Lord Benyon: The physical safety of swimmers and other water users at coastal or inland waters in England is a matter for the local management of the site. The Bathing Water Regulations 2013 are designed to protect water quality and public health relating to pollution and have no provision for physical safety. In 2010, there were 415 designated bathing waters in England. 2022 is the most recent list for designated bathing waters and can be found on GOV.UK. A copy is attached to this answer. Last year, there were 421 designated bathing waters.List of bathing waters (pdf, 289.7KB)

Beavers

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to facilitate and plan for releases of beavers into the wild in England; and what consideration they have given to the optimal population and distribution of beavers.

Lord Benyon: Taking into account the range of responses and feedback from the consultation on our approach to beaver reintroduction and management in England, Defra will continue to work with Natural England to develop our approach.

Game: Birds

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they havemade of the potential shortage of birds for commercial hunting given the avian flu pandemic and restrictions on bird movement.

Lord Benyon: The United Kingdom is currently experiencing its biggest ever outbreak of Avian Influenza (AI) in poultry and captive birds. Defra’s approach aims to reduce adverse impacts on the rural and wider economy, the public, rural communities and the environment (including impact on wildlife), whilst protecting public health and minimising the overall cost of any outbreak. During AI outbreaks the release of game birds in the UK is tightly restricted. Due to the global nature of AI, countries such as France which supply the UK with gamebird hatching eggs have also been affected by AI. Biosecurity at our borders is also paramount in protecting our game farming and shooting sectors. The restrictions put in place on imports, limiting the number of gamebirds that can enter the country, ultimately exist to prevent further outbreaks in poultry farms and gamebird premises. We recognise that any sustained interruption to normal supplies of gamebirds due to AI outbreaks is likely to impact those business that make available gamebirds for commercial hunting in the UK. We continue to monitor the current situation both in Europe and globally, as well as the effectiveness of any disease control measures taken. Any future decisions on disease control measures will be based upon the latest scientific, ornithological, and veterinary advice.

Agriculture: Antibiotics

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support farmers to reduce the use of antibiotics.

Lord Benyon: Defra is a co-signatory with the Department of Health and Social Care of the UK's Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) 5-year National Action Plan (2019-2024) and the UK's 20 year Vision to Contain and Control AMR by 2040, documents which set out the UK's short and long term goals for mitigating the threat of AMR. A key ambition of these strategies is the appropriate use of antibiotics in humans and animals so that they continue to be an effective tool to treat infections when needed.The UK Government is committed to reducing the unnecessary use of antibiotics in animals while safeguarding animal welfare. It has been our position for many years that we do not support the routine or predictable use of antibiotics, including where antibiotics are used to compensate for inadequate farming practices. We seek to reduce veterinary antibiotic prescribing through a combination of approaches, including improved biosecurity, stockmanship and good farming practices, disease prevention (including vaccination) and use of diagnostics. To date in the UK, collaborative working between government, the veterinary profession and the agriculture sectors to focus on these issues has resulted in our national sales of veterinary antibiotics reducing by 55% since 2014, and in 2021 we recorded the lowest antibiotic use to date.Over the years the Government has supported several stewardship programmes to encourage the responsible use of antibiotics in animals, including Farm Vet Champions, a major collaborative project supported by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate and spearheaded by RCVS Knowledge, to empower the veterinary community to tackle AMR by providing resources and continued professional development materials. Directly linked to our commitment to reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics in animals is a commitment to strengthening animal health and welfare standards. Central to this commitment will be delivering practical support to farmers through the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, an initiative co-designed with farmers, vets, academics and national experts in the sector. The first step on the Pathway, the Annual Health and Welfare Review (copy attached) has now launched. Eligible farmers can now register an Expression of Interest in a visit by a vet-led team to carry out a yearly on-farm review of animal health and welfare. This includes carrying out diagnostic testing, reviewing biosecurity and the use of medicines, as well as bespoke advice on actions to improve the health and welfare.Annual Health and Welfare Review (pdf, 713.7KB)

Bread and Flour: Regulation

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps will be required under the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland for any changes to the Bread and Flour Regulations 1988; and how long they estimate the requirements of the Protocol will take to fulfil in this regard.

Lord Benyon: HM Government and the devolved administrations are working together to bring forward changes to the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 having consulted on proposals between 1st September and 23rd November 2022. As a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), we will be required to notify the WTO providing 60 days for members to comment on the changes. There is also a legal requirement to notify the EU Commission of any new mandatory fortification measures applicable to Northern Ireland. With regards to the proposal to add folic acid to flour this will be required six months before adoption. Both of these notifications can be made at the same time and progress in parallel.

Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the regulatory divergence between Great Britain and Northern Ireland that may occur as a result of the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill.

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure businesses in England can continue to supply businesses in Northern Ireland following the passage of the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill.

Lord Benyon: We have discussed our proposed policy changes with all the Devolved Administrations and will continue to keep them informed as the Bill is implemented through commencement regulations.Under the current NI Protocol arrangements, any goods placed on the market in Northern Ireland, regardless of whether they originate from Great Britain or anywhere else in the world, are required to comply with relevant EU law which remains directly applicable within Northern Ireland under the terms of the Protocol. This means that precision bred organisms will not be able to be imported into Northern Ireland unless approved and labelled as a GMO.In addition to gaining approval of precision bred status, precision bred crops in England will still need to follow the approval process for new traditionally bred crops. Therefore, we predict it will be several years before domestically produced precision bred crops will be on the market for farmers and consumers. Of the products we expect to come to market during that timeframe, we have not identified any commodity traded between Great Britain and Northern Ireland that would be singled out for significant impact by this restriction.The EU has recently concluded a public consultation on its future regulation of plants, and their food and feed products, obtained using ‘New Genomic Techniques’. This indicates that the EU may take a similar approach to that of England in creating a new regulatory regime for precision bred plants, where the genetic changes could have arisen through traditional breeding. We will continue to monitor the position of the EU on precision bred products and on UK/EU trade implications for products developed using precision breeding.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Levelling Up Fund: Northern Ireland

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what applications for levelling up funding have been received from Northern Ireland; and what was the (1) outcome of each application, and (2) value of the award for successful applications.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: Information on the value of awards to successful applicants in round 1 and round 2 of the Levelling Up Fund, including those in Northern Ireland, have been published on Gov.uk.The department has published a number of documents relating to the outcome of rounds 1 and 2 including an Explanatory Note on assessment and decision making, the list of successful bidders and analysis of successful and unsuccessful bids by theme and geography. Currently, the department has no plans to publish further information on the outcome of rounds 1 and 2.LUF Round 1 (xlsx, 16.2KB)LUF Round 2 (xlsx, 15.7KB)Northern Ireland LUF Round 1 & 2  (xlsx, 13.1KB)

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Heating: Non-ionizing Radiation

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of infrared panels as alow carbon heating technology for (1) new homes, and (2) off-gas-grid homes.

Lord Callanan: The Department has carried out research into infrared heating, including evidence gathering study on the options for direct electric heating in off-gas grid homes. in order to improve our understanding of the potential role of infrared heating in decarbonising heat, the Department has commenced a further programme of evidence gathering on the performance of these systems relative to other technologies. The Government will use this evidence to further consider the applicability of infrared heating in specific circumstances, including new homes and existing homes off the gas grid.Electric_heating_options_in_off-gas_grid_homes (pdf, 3624.5KB)

Energy: Conservation

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government how muchhas been claimed in energy efficiency grantsfor energy retrofit programmes by each local authority in each year since 2008.

Lord Callanan: Providing breakdowns of energy efficiency allocations for every local authority for each year since 2008 could only be provided at disproportionate cost. However, the most recent allocations to LAs from the Home Upgrade Grant, Green Homes Grant – Local Authority Delivery, Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and Public Sector Decarbonisation schemes can be found on GOV.UK.